The Corporation

The film stresses that corporations have not always existed. They date back to before the seventeenth century in Europe as a result of the industrial revolution and the civil war. However, in the seventeenth century making money became a key focus. A corporation is defined as a group of individuals working together to accomplish a goal, that goal being making themselves and shareholders as much money as possible is the shortest amount of time possible.

A corporation is seen as a legal person by law. In the film The Corporation they illustrate these "businesses" to depict many negative human personality traits. One trait given to corporations is the incapacity to maintain enduring relationships. Large corporations find countries where the economy is failing and swoop in like heroes to provide jobs to the citizens. After taking advantage of these people by providing low wages and an unsafe work environment they leave at the first sign of economic independence. They leave behind them a high unemployment rate and an economy no better off then when they appeared. Another characteristic was their failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behavior. Corporations will actually figure out whether it is financially better in the long run to break the law. They ask themselves if it will it produce more money for the CEO's and their shareholders, totally disregarding the legalities. A third trait discussed in the film is the corporation's lack of guilt. Corporations are contaminating community's drinking water, using up natural resources and are responsible for countless health problems like cancer and birth defects. This guilt is even dismissed when proven guilty for such criminal acts against man and nature.

Throughout the film corporations are exposed as a person with psychopathic tendencies and a total disregard for humanity. Although the film does a very good job at defacing corporations they still cannot avoid speaking of their some positive attributes. Corporations are responsible for providing many of the products, practically all of the products we use on a daily bases. They create goods and services that we deem necessary to live better lives. One boy said in the film that corporations are the incentive that makes capitalism work.

The Corporation provides much discussion on the topic of ethical responsibility. A stockbroker in the film said, "In devastation, there is opportunity,"